Obamateurism of the Day

posted at 8:05 am on January 18, 2012 by Ed Morrissey

Today, we interrupt this feature to remind people to call their elected officials in Congress to oppose the SOPA and PIPA bills. We aren’t going to take the site dark today, as some of our on-line colleagues will as a reminder of the power that SOPA and PIPA would give the federal government to shut down websites with no due process. We think it’s too important to keep exercising our freedom of speech, but still definitely salute those who are reminding us in their silence all to take action against a seriously misguided effort to protect intellectual rights — a worthwhile goal, but not at the expense of putting government in the position of acting as a prior-restraint gatekeeper outside of the normal due process afforded by the courts.

If we don’t take the site dark, I can at least suspend this daily feature for a day to remind people what it might be like if we put the power of SOPA and/or PIPA into the hands of an executive branch inclined to stifle criticism (it’s worth noting that the Obama administration has now expressed some opposition to SOPA, at least). We’ll be back tomorrow. In the meantime, either contact your elected representatives or sign the online petition against SOPA/PIPA.

Got an Obamateurism of the Day? If you see a foul-up by Barack Obama, e-mail it to me at obamaisms@edmorrissey.com with the quote and the link to the Obamateurism. I’ll post the best Obamateurisms on a daily basis, depending on how many I receive. Include a link to your blog, and I’ll give some link love as well. And unlike Slate, I promise to end the feature when Barack Obama leaves office.

Illustrations by Chris Muir of Day by Day. Be sure to read the adventures of Sam, Zed, Damon, and Jan every day!

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This is going to be one boring day… thanks authoritarian CongressWeasels! We the People deserve a government that upholds our Constitutional freedoms. A government that continues to erode our God-given (not governmentally permitted) freedoms must be a government that we challenge at every opportunity.

Ed, I appreciate this article, and I agree with the decision not to suspend Hot Air’s operations for the day. The content here is too important. However, I would say that there should be something on the home page that indicates the site’s opposition to SOPA. Right now, this article is just linked under the “Obamateurism of the Day” heading with no indication of what its content is. I think there should be something more prominent, much as Google has managed to do a clear show of opposition to the bill without actually disabling their site.

Noted “Constitutionalists” Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch both support PIPA. For as much support as Mike Lee got, from across the country, for his bid to unseat Bob Bennett in 2010 he needs to get as many CALLS for his support of PIPA.

Too bad that, as a resident of DC, I have no Congressman to call or write.

urban elitist on January 18, 2012 at 8:35 AM

Now you know that isn’t true. You do not have a voting member of Congress (Praise the Lord!) but you do have a non-voting representative who is also on several important committees to DC. I’m sick and tired of all the dishonesty whenever the issue of DC statehood comes up! Holmes Norton, or Gray or any other far-left idiots whine about not being represented when, in fact, they are represented in accordance with the Constitution.

And, BTW, DC government sucks enough now under an idiot like Gray without deciding it is a good idea to let DC residents get two Senators and a voting member of the House! Too few residents, too invested in the welfare culture of the left, and no compelling reason to give DC statehood. They need to prove they can run the city honestly, fairly, and effectively and even that has proven impossible given all the criminals and investigations since Gray took over and handed the city back to the same crowd the propped up Marion Barry.

Too bad that, as a resident of DC, I have no Congressman to call or write.

urban elitist on January 18, 2012 at 8:35 AM

Now you know that isn’t true. You do not have a voting member of Congress (Praise the Lord!) but you do have a non-voting representative who is also on several important committees to DC. I’m sick and tired of all the dishonesty whenever the issue of DC statehood comes up! Holmes Norton, or Gray or any other far-left idiots whine about not being represented when, in fact, they are represented in accordance with the Constitution.

And, BTW, DC government sucks enough now under an idiot like Gray without deciding it is a good idea to let DC residents get two Senators and a voting member of the House! Too few residents, too invested in the welfare culture of the left, and no compelling reason to give DC statehood. They need to prove they can run the city honestly, fairly, and effectively and even that has proven impossible given all the criminals and investigations since Gray took over and handed the city back to the same crowd the propped up Marion Barry.

We have no vote in Congress — under the Republican leadership, not even in committee.

I don;t recall the residents of, say, Alabama, being asked to prove that their affairs were sufficiently ordered to justify sending a representative or six to Washington.

If you don’t believe American citizens should have a voice in Congress, just say so. These elaborate justifications are tiresome.

Gray will be gone in two years, btw.
Happy Nomad on January 18, 2012 at 8:58 A

That will change to:Moriturite Salutamus once we elect a conservative POTUS.
Aren’t we up to 70+% dissatisfaction with ChicagØbama yet?
Only Perry and maybe Gingrich can unseat that man-child in mom-jeans.
Maybe then, the military will respect a new POTUS.Just a Thawt
~(Ä)~

I don;t recall the residents of, say, Alabama, being asked to prove that their affairs were sufficiently ordered to justify sending a representative or six to Washington.

urban elitist on January 18, 2012 at 9:04 AM

Actually you are wrong. They had to prove their viability as part of the process toward statehood. Mayor Gray and company don’t think they need to prove any sort of viability and of course to even question the need to change the Constitution to accomodate DC Statehood makes one a racist.

It is absurd to think that the few residents of DC deserve to have two permanent Dem votes in the Senate and a permanant Dem seat in the House. These are the bleatings of selfish and unrealistic Dem partisans. In no way does it make sense for DC to become a state. Anybody that argues for DC statehood is not working off the principle of representation but, rather in trying to manipulate our democracy to give one political party permanent control over the legislative process and citizenry that extends far wider than a city with pretensions. You area a “district” not a state, get over it or move! Plenty of commies over here in Arlington with a Congressman who does vote just like DC would like.

the dems are in the pocket of anti sopa corporations like google. that their real motivation to stop this thing.

nathor on January 18, 2012 at 9:17 AM

Actually from the analysis I’ve seen these bills are just bad legislation that is sloppy in terminology, bodes to come with consequences that supporters downplay, and does absolutely nothing to protect intellectual property from international piracy.

That left-wing organizations like Google and Wiki are protesting should not be construed to mean this is a partisan issue. In fact, I saw one story from a Wiki contributor who did not like that they went political by shutting down the site in protest.

I’m sure almost everyone here has violated SOPA as it stands right now. Please fight to defeat this bill. Every Facebook post that you link to an article, picture, song, whatever that has copyright protection and you didn’t ask to use makes you a criminal. The internet is not theirs to legislate. Stop this insanity now.

We just created a widget that you can embed on your own website to let the world know that you’re voting for the net — and urge others to take the pledge too. (The image in the upper right of this email will appear.)

Will you add our badge to your site? You can just use this snippet of code:

Politicians need to understand that they’ll feel heat from the voters if they stand against a free Internet and freedom of expression.

VoteForTheNet.com will serve as a hub for electoral activism against SOPA and PIPA, and in support of a free Internet.

Name one thing the federal government ever involved themselves in that worked out better.

D-fusit on January 18, 2012 at 9:46 AM

The establishment of a standing national army in lieu of relying on state militias for national security.

I tried the Wiki thing and the actual page showed up for all of 15 seconds and then a screen came up with a way to contact your Congresscritter. I’m against this legislation but I’m also against political activism by sites like Wiki

Actually from the analysis I’ve seen these bills are just bad legislation that is sloppy in terminology, bodes to come with consequences that supporters downplay, and does absolutely nothing to protect intellectual property from international piracy.

That left-wing organizations like Google and Wiki are protesting should not be construed to mean this is a partisan issue. In fact, I saw one story from a Wiki contributor who did not like that they went political by shutting down the site in protest.

Happy Nomad on January 18, 2012 at 9:33 AM

What I am trying to do is deny the dems of playing the good guy in this story. Their real interest is to server the lobbyists that bought them, not their base.
so it happens that conservatives and liberals, have a coincident interest in stopping this thing. and we should have no shame of going bipartisan on this.

These are the bleatings of selfish and unrealistic Dem partisans. In no way does it make sense for DC to become a state. Anybody that argues for DC statehood is not working off the principle of representation but, rather in trying to manipulate our democracy to give one political party permanent control over the legislative process and citizenry that extends far wider than a city with pretensions. You area a “district” not a state, get over it or move! Plenty of commies over here in Arlington with a Congressman who does vote just like DC would like.

Happy Nomad on January 18, 2012 at 9:26 AM

Much like FDR trying to stack the Supreme Court, eh?
The Leftist gyrations to control this country knows no bounds.(sigh)